Chapter I: Preface

The voyage about to be described was made last Autumn in a small Canoe, with a double paddle and sails, which the writer managed alone.

The route led sometimes over mountains and through forests and plains, where the boat had to be carried or dragged.

The waters navigated were as follows:--

The Rivers Thames, Sambre, Meuse, Rhine, Main, Danube, Reuss, Aar, Ill, Moselle, Meurthe, Marne, and Seine.

The Lakes Titisee, Constance, Unter See, Zurich, Zug, and Lucerne, together with six canals in Belgium and France, and two expeditions in the open sea of the British Channel.

TEMPLE, LONDON,
_April 25, 1866_.

THE AUTHOR'S PROFITS FROM THE FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS, WERE
GIVEN TO THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION AND TO THE
SHIPWRECKED MARINERS' SOCIETY.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page

RAPIDS OF THE REUSS (_Frontispiece_). --

SEA ROLLERS IN THE CHANNEL 19

SWIMMING HERD ON THE MEUSE 28

SINGERS' WAGGON ON THE DANUBE 49

A CROWD IN THE MORNING 65

HAYMAKERS AMAZED 80

NIGHT SURPRISE AT GEGGLINGEN 93

THE ROB ROY IN A BUSTLE 110

SAILING UPON LAKE ZUG 134

SHIRKING A WATERFALL 152

A CRITICAL MOMENT 168

ASTRIDE THE STERN 186

THE ROB ROY AND THE COW 213

POLITE TO THE LADIES 230

GROUP OF FRENCH FISHERS 246

PASSING A DANGEROUS BARRIER 263

A CHOKED CANAL 281

RIGGING ASHORE 290

ROUTE OF THE CANOE (_Map_) 291

CHART OF CURRENTS AND ROCKS 302

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. Page

Canoe Travelling--Other Modes--The Rob
Roy--Hints--Tourists--The Rivers--The Dress--I and We 1

CHAPTER II.

The Start--The Nore--Porpoises--A Gale--The Channel--Ostend
Canal--River Meuse--Earl of Aberdeen--Holland--The
Rhine--The Premier's Son--River Main--Heron
Stalking--The Prince of Wales 12

CHAPTER III.

Hollenthal Pass--Ladies--Black Forest--Night Music--Beds--Lake
Titisee--Pontius Pilate--Storm--Starers--Banket--Four
in hand--Source of the Danube 38

CHAPTER IV.

River Donau--Singers--Shady nooks--Geisingen--Mill
Weirs--Rapids--Morning Crowd--Donkey's
Stable--Islands--Monks--Spiders--Concert--Fish--A
race 55

CHAPTER V.

Sigmaringen--Treacherous trees--Congress of herons--Flying
Dutchman--Tub and shovel--Bottle race--Snags--Bridge
Perils--Ya Vol--Ferry Rope--Benighted--Ten eggs 75

CHAPTER VI.

Day-dream--River Iller--Ulm--A stiff king--Lake Constance--Seeing
in the dark--Switzerland--Coloured
Canvas--Sign talk--Synagogue--Amelia--Gibberish 96

CHAPTER VII.

Fog--Fancy pictures--Boy soldiers--Boat's billet--Eating--Lake
Zurich--Crinoline--Hot walk--Staring--Lake
Zug--Swiss shots--Fishing Britons--Talk-book 118

CHAPTER VIII.

Sailing on Lucerne--Seeburg--River scenes--Night and
snow--The Reuss--A dear dinner--Seeing a rope--Passing
a fall--Sullen roar--Bremgarten rapids 142

CHAPTER IX.

Hunger--Music at the mill--Sentiment and chops--River
Limmat--Fixed on a fall--River Aar--Rhine again--Douaniers--Falls
of Lauffenburg--The cow cart 159

CHAPTER X.

Field of Foam--Precipice--Puzzled--Philosophy--Rheinfelden
Rapids--Dazzled--Lower Rapids--Astride--Fate
of the Four-oar--Very Salt--Ladies--Whirlpool--Funny
English--Insulting a baby--Bride 177

CHAPTER XI.

Private concert--Thunderer--La Hardt Forest--Mulhouse
Canal--River Ill--Reading Stories--Madame Nico--Night
Noises--Pets--Ducking--The Vosges mountains--Admirers--Boat
on wheels--New wine 196

CHAPTER XII.

Bonfire--My wife--Matthews--Tunnel
picture--Imposture--Fancy--Moselle--Cocher--Saturday
Review Tracts--Gymnastics--The
paddle--A spell--Overhead--Feminine
forum--Public breakfast 216

CHAPTER XIII.

River Moselle--The Tramp--Halcyon--Painted woman--Beating
to quarters--Boat in a hedge--River Meurthe--Moving
House--Tears of a mother--Five francs 234

CHAPTER XIV.

Ladies in muslin--Chalons Camp--Officers shouting--Volunteers'
umbrella--Reims--Leaks--Madame
Clicquot--Heavy blow--The Elephant--First Cloud 255

CHAPTER XV.

Meaux on the Marne--Hammering--Popish forms--Wise
dogs--Blocked in a Tunnel--A dry voyage--Arbour
and Garret--Odd fellows--Dream on the Seine--Almost
over--No admittance--Charing-cross 276

APPENDIX.

Hints for Canoists--The Rob Roy's Stores--Chart of rocks
and currents--The Kent--Danger--Exercise--Sun--Walking
machine--Odds and ends--Future voyages 291